Dragon*Con 2013

Just scored my membership for next year - only $65. Act fast!

Last year I paid $70, so I must not have known you could pre-order this soon. Live and learn! I have found a schematic of the Marriott Atrium level and will start planning the best tactical line strategies any day now.

This has to be the only event I've ever planned so insanely in advance for. I blame you guys for making to too much fun to want to pass up on!

And I will accept this blame without protest! Make sure you bring your schematics with you! And a few different colors of tape.

If we get to the point where we meet up a week or two in advance for a dry-run, we might have to admit a problem...

Dragon*Con? What is this Dragon*Con you speak of?

Discount membership acquired! What day do you guys typically arrive? I usually get there on Thursday morning but lately, many of my friends have been arriving on Wednesday and just extending the con even more. It is tempting to do.

I usually get there Thursday morning and leave Monday evening. Easiest for me to get off work without actually taking vacation days. I've had friends go Wednesday too...not too much actual Con stuff to do, but you can always start the party early, lol!

I got there Wednesday this year, and honestly, it felt a little _too_ soon. We waited in line for registration Thursday morning like 2 hours before they opened which was totally unnecessary because of the smoothness of registration this year (and last year from what I experienced).

I think next year I'm going to aim for a Thursday arrival and a Tuesday checkout. Checkout on Monday was crazy, especially if you had a car. Since I plan on staying at a host hotel next year, and vividly remembering the gridlock with the valet situation, Tuesday seems like the way to go.

Woohoo! Got my badge!

Ok, Indy, you are officially the Odd Man Out. Get it together, man!

Glad we've all gotten this far. Has anyone else noticed the countdown clock on the D*C website has reset? ONLY 300+ some odd days left!

Oh, ha ha. The board is green for 2013!

Yeah. Tuesday was a pretty flawless exit. Gives you a night to recover, or for one last hurrah!

So what's the game plan? Should we all chip in on a room/adjoining rooms? I have a Hilton Rewards card thingamabob that I got for when I stay out on conversion projects. I have some points built up, so it might shave a few bucks off a stay. AND if I have any projects done between now and next year, I'll have those points to work with, as well.

Only 352 Days Left!

Sorry to break it to you, bro, but the Hilton is already sold out. Not to mention I heard they have some of the smaller rooms.

Yes Hilton is sold out and the rooms are small! I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to be doing since I've had a running room pact with my group for years. But yeah rooms at the Marriot or Hyatt open up on October 10th...I think. I'll have to double check.

I'll probably be rooming with my room pact group as well, but that doesn't mean we can't hang out a ton Things may change, but that was the current plan.

Rooms for the Marriott open on October 10 at 9am-ish. I find it is usually better to book the room online than on the phone, but some people have better luck the other way.

Obviously we're going to be hanging out a ton! I'm not sure what the best way is for getting a room at the Marriott. My roomie Kerry is like a Jedi Master when it comes to getting a room there....somehow she just always gets one. The Force is strong with her...

I don't have any room pacts, Kyle. I'm not sure if Jenny's going next year and if she is, it sounds like her whole family is going, too, so she might be rooming with them.

I think I decided to just bite the bullet and try to snatch a room at the Marriott or the Hyatt when they become available. This way, I know for sure I've got a room and I can fill it as needed - which, of course, includes offering you somewhere to crash. The more the merrier in the land of $200+ per night hotel rooms.

If I can't get a host hotel on my own, I'm going to wing it. I know someone here locally that always seems to get a place at the Hyatt and I'm not above asking to stay with him again. There are also all kinds of room share requests leading up to the Con as people drop out or scramble last minute. So, I know for sure we'll all be there, and hopefully all at host hotels. The rest is gravy.

Aww, crap. Who's going to buy us alcohol when we're too dr...good at quarters to stand? Sounds like a plan. As much as I enjoyed the comfort of staying with Ryan and Dacy, it was also difficult to work around their work schedules. I'll take you up on that room pact offer, if you'd like. Either way, sounds like I'll be scheduling myself off October 10, just in case the rooms get gobbled up real quick-like.

Mmm...gravy...turkey...Thanksgiving...pumpkin pie.

Aww I hope Jenny goes! She's fun!

Quartermaster wrote:Aww I hope Jenny goes! She's fun!

She's been quite a few more times than me and I think the novelty is wearing off a bit (not sure how this is even possible). She did talk about bringing her Boyfriend next year, so that could be fun. You'd love her whole family (I wish my family were as nerdy!), so if they come, it will be an added bonus.